The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-09-30
THE BURNT CHESTNUT.

''This is the famous Burnt Ches' nut
runway" said Maj. Silas Haight, known
all over the commonwealth as "the Lone
Fisherman of Kettle Creek This is
the fav'rite spot for deer hunters an it's
known fur an near ez Burnt Ches'n nut
runway, though tn hain't no more sign
of a burnt chestnut here nav thin tn is
on that flat rock yonder. Right whar
yon second growth pine is standin. not
an inch to the left nor to the right, is jist
whar the oil burnt chestnut stood th't
give this runway its name, years an
years ago, an it'll be the oil Burnt Ches'-
nut runway ez long ez there hunter left
to come here an STAN an take his
chances fer deer.
"Ol' Burnt Chestnut! I'd jist like to
hev some o. the OF times over ag'in th't
I've had on this blame nigh played out
mountain! Wen ] look back at 'em /
get humsick all through, an ez lonesome
ez widdered turtle dove. TIL hain't
nothin' nor nobody no more, sonny, an
that's fact. That is, not to speak on.
Therz one or two O. the oil boys left yit. an
wunst in vile they manage to strike
out here an p'tend they're ketchin'
fish, an play at huntin' deer. But tn
was hull nest Of us in the rippin' an
tearin' oil times, an we run the town.
ship, for its leadin' citizens in them days
was deer an bar an painters. Some o.
the ol' boys ID git keerless now an then,
an let o bar ketch hiplock on 'em, or
give q panther too much rope, an so
they gradually got chewed up an pulled
in two. Thar were Pete Muffef, come
to think on 1t. He got missed one fall
an didn't never show up with the boys
ag'in. He were fault findin' sort o.
chap, Pete were, an allaz KEEP jawin'
cause tn want nothin' in the woods
wuth tacklin' any more, an he got up
an swore, reg'lar ev'ry fall, th't he'd
never be happy till he could git some'rs
whar he could rassel tigers or sumpin' o.
that kind th't were with tacklin' an
were likely to stan some show with him.
So wen Pete didn't turn up no more,
we s'posed, o. course, he had along his
rifle on his shoulder. an pulled out for
some deestric' OF other whar tigers was
roamin' about an roarin' for somebody
to come and give 'em some lessons in
rough an tumbles. We had pooty nigh
forgot all about Pete, but the mex spring
arter he'd cut sticks, ez we s'posed, Jim
Barmer slugged big bar over thong
Persimmen Holler one day. TIL want
nuthin' differ'nt bout that bar from
any other bar, 'cept th't wen Jim
dressed it he un 'arthed a big tin terbacker
box in its innards. The box was battered
an stained an showed hard times GIN
orally, but tn want no mistakin' o. it.
Ev'ry body rec 'nized it as Peter Muffer's,
an that s all tn were left o. him. The
rest o. him had naturally disappeared,
but tn hain't no bar as ever stole pig
ez kin digest tin terbacker box, sure.
"Then thar were CODE Ransom. CODE
want rash, giner'ly speakin', but one
nice day in the fall he bit off leetle
more'n he could chaw wen he tried to
git away with three painters at one time
right over yonder in the Goose Medder
woods. Not e'zac'ly that, nuther, fer he
did git away with 'em, but the trouble
were, he didn't git away from 'em.
Wen we run gin CODE the mex day he
were layin' on top o. one o. the biggest
painters l ever see. CODES left hand
were clutched on its throat, an his
t'other hand were tight, aroun' the ham
die of his huntin' knife an the blade o.
the knife were up to the hilt in the paint
er's heart OFF to one side laid two more
big painters, both deader'n the Pilgrim
fathers. So were the painter CODE were
layin' on. So were CODE an tn want
much left O him, nuther.
uA,,, thor xxvara <o,,o1 oos rxo,,xo Toal,
Patten. That poor Teller grieved himself
to death, say some, as measles is ketchin'.
Jesh stepped inter one o. his own bar
traps one day an thar he was. The
jaws o. the trap held him tighter thin q
wise, 'twixt the knee an the ankle. Tn
want no Use o. his tryin' to git out an
30 he sot down to grin an bear it, hopin'
th't some o. us mowt stumble along that
way an help him loose. He were thar
in the iron jaws O. that trap fer day an
a might an nobody showed up to give
him lift. Seeing th't the chances war
th't he'd lief to starve in the trap Mess
some kind hearted bar should come
along and chaw him, josh sot to
an prayed for bar. A big un kim
snuffin' an growlin' to'ards the, trap
ucA uty, Dltt III Sctiueu W icOo hi1c JOSH
an were feared to tackle him. josh
act'ally coaxed bruin, with tears stream
in down his cheeks, to pitch in an rouse
him an let him die like white man, but
th0b FAR turned tail and dug fer the swamp.
Then josh swore th't he wouldn't starve,
but would die game; an so he drawed
his huntin' knife to slash it cross his
wizzen pipe, ven all of a student an idec
hit him in the conk. 'Ste'd o. splittin'
his wizzen pipe, josh just onj'inted his
leg at the knee an crawled to his cabin
two miles away. Two or three o. us boys
had happened together thar that mornin'
not KNOWN TIT josh were missin'. He
come crawlin' in vile they were thar,
an they took charge Of him an done him
up in shape. He soon pulled through,
brt he couldn't git over the idee o. bein'